wareaglescott

I posted this in the general discussion forum but figured I might get some more expert 356 viewers over here.

I came across this picture of a 356 being loaded on a Delta C-46. I fly for Delta and intend to have this picture blown up to display in my office. I do not know much about the 356 model history. Can anyone provide any information on the year and possibly model if they have multiple variants of the 356.

I only have this picture in a digital copy. If I zoom in on the fender badges and license plate I lose the ability to read them due to the resolution. Will upload it here in the full size I have it.

Delta operated the C-46 starting in Mid 1957. Dont believe the car is new based on the fact it already appears to have a license plate. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks

irish guitar

It's definitely an early Type 1, A coupe (bee hive tail lights) and judging by the script on the front wing my guess is that it's either a Continental (1955) or a European (1956). Same car, but with different badging due to legal issues with Ford who owned the Continental trademark.

Vivian

wareaglescott

Thank you.
I should add at this time Delta only flew within the United States so I would suspect this car would be a US registered vehicle.
Would that make it the European? If I understand correctly the ones in the US would be referred to as the European due to the Ford issue. Is that correct?

Also I found this information in a Porsche buyers guide:
"In 1957 there were a few cosmetic changes. That was the first year of the bumper overrider bars on cars exported to the United States. The first 1957 models had single overrider bars front and rear with beehive taillights. Midyear, the taillights were changed to a teardrop design. Near the end of the year, the license plate light was moved from above the license plate to below it, and the rear bumper overriders were changed to two piece units that accommodated the license plate between them."

Looking at the picture the 356 has the overriders and the beehive taillights as well as the light above the license plate. All this would lead me to believe it was a car for import to the US and an early in the year 1957 model before the taillight change took effect.
Looking very closely at the script of the fender badge it clearly starts with a "C". Possibly it says Continental.

FrenchToast

You've got me curious now

Identify-the-car is one of my favorite games. Doesn't mean I'm any good at it though

The Continental was sold in the U.S. until Ford told them not to. I would assume it is a U.S. car given the plate. Also both the taillights look red, on a car built for the European market I think the outer light is amber.

I think the overrider is a piece in addition to what is shown, an additional rail above the bumper. I've heard them called "tower-rail," or maybe "towel-rail"? See Speedster below.

Using this guide (might be same as you): https://porsche356registry.org/article/164

Back to your photo, the car has curved (not flat) rockers. The flat ones apparently were introduced in 1956. It has the rocker strips which apparently weren't added until midway through '55 model. So your picture seems like a late 1955 Continental Coupe.

Speedster below has the over-riders and flat rockers:

jcnesq

Hard to tell details, but yeh, I think an early A.

Totally off topic, but in the '60s as a teen had an older friend, he took me to the sports car races frequently. Moved away, left his motor racing Honda MC with me. Finally called me, asked me to crate it and send it to him in Atlanta. His brother worked for Delta. So I dropped it off at LAX in a huge, heavy, self-constructed 2x4 crate, marked "COMAT" and shipped it to his brother. Brother almost got fired over that.

Lost touch with him. Finally tracked him down ~40 years later and talked to him, but he was deep into dementia and it was a short and bittersweet conversation.

wareaglescott

More interesting details!
Looking at the pictures you posted the fender badge definitely appears to say Continental in my picture. I can clearly make out the C but not the rest.

On the badging above the license plate it appears under the Porsche badge mine has 4 distinct letters or numbers. Certainly not the "Carrera" script like the above picture. Any idea what that might say?

Another clue is looking at the front windshield the best I can tell it does not have the split or bend going through the middle of it. It appears to be the curved windshield which started in the 1956 model.

Also on the linked guide it states:
"In mid 1956, overriders tubes (supposedly for increased protection) were added to the front and rear bumpers on the U.S. models"

When did car makers start coming out with next years model in the previous year. Like currently I can get a 2018 Porsche. Is it possible a mid year 1956 update would be on a 1957 model.

With these additional details is the best guess this is a 1956 because of the curved windshield?
Any idea what the text below the Porsche emblem on the rear would say?

wareaglescott

Also found this picture when looking for info in the plane. Not Porsche related but thought it was pretty cool.

wareaglescott

Well I found more conflicting information:
"when the name Continental was proudly worn on the fenders of 356 Porsche cabriolets and coupes primarily sold in America by New York importer Max Hoffman. It was a one-year only (October 1954 through October 1955) moniker for the 356 Porsches. Once the cars began appearing on American roads Ford Motor Company “suggested” that Porsche not use the name because of their upcoming Continental Mark II for 1956."

I am quite confident the badge says continental so that would point to a 1955.
Curved windshield would suggest 1956 but maybe I just am not seeing that correctly.

wareaglescott

Ok last one. Found the more info on the continental badging;


Porsche 356 ‘Continental’: A short story about a well-known name
17 June 2013
Yes, Porsche, too, built a ‘Continental’. It was way back in the mid-1950s and was a special version of the ‘pre-A’ 356, specifically aimed at the North American market. The Ford Motor Company, however, was none too pleased...
Like so many successful marketing ideas of the time, it came from the German company’s North American importer, Max Hoffman (the man who also brought the world the 356 Speedster and the Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing’).

As a means of clearing stock of soon-to-be-outdated 356 coupés and convertibles, he suggested naming them ‘Continentals’, to emphasise the international, sophisticated European nature of the advanced sports cars from Zuffenhausen.

All Continental-badged cars were the top-model, 1500cc version, with many extras.

The chrome badge was in Porsche’s characteristic script, set on the top of each front wing. The cars were well equipped, too – a foretaste of special editions from all manufacturers in years to come.

Very few of these special 356s were built, though, as Ford was none too keen on Lincoln’s well-known ‘Continental’ name being applied to any other car. Legal proceedings, settled in favour of the Blue Oval, meant that only a handful of 356 Continentals were produced. For 1956 the name changed to ‘European’. This example, a 1955 pre-A 356 Cabriolet, is a genuine Continental and the concours-ready car is in its original colour scheme of Terra Cotta with Yellow Earth interior – a combination specified by its first owner, Robert Jackson.

The car, available for sale at Classic Driver dealer Driver Source, has been the subject of the most meticulous restoration. Concours- and event-ready, it carries a 21st Century price of USD 379,000.

The Brewmeister

There you have it, I believe. The characters below the Porsche script most likely designate "1500". The badges on the wings definitely say Continental per my resolution.

wareaglescott

ah ha 1500! Thanks
That designates a 1500cc engine?

FrenchToast

Correctamundo

wareaglescott

Awesome. I appreciate everyones input in this thread. Got the picture blown up on a canvas in 30" x 40". Looks spectacular in my office.

The Brewmeister

They must have had to turn the car so it was oriented end to end in the fuselage. It doesn't look like the fuselage is wide enough for the car to fit cross way. How did they turn the vehicle? It must have been even more difficult with a longer wheelbase car like the pictured Ferrari.

wareaglescott

Based on the similarity of the two pictures I wouldn't be surprised if they never even put them in the airplane. They are so close it almost looks like they were just shooting the pics for advertising purposes or something. Otherwise I would just assume they put wheel dollies under the wheels and turned it. That door is almost as wide as the car is long.